Media Alert/Photo Advisory: Joy Smith Foundation Launching Initiative to Combat Forced Labour in Manitoba

/EIN News/ -- WINNIPEG, Manitoba, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To mark Manitoba Human Trafficking Awareness Day, The Joy Smith Foundation is holding a press conference to announce an initiative that aims to raise awareness about forced labour trafficking in Manitoba’s trucking industry.

Labour trafficking is a hidden and urgent issue in Manitoba, with victims often coerced into unsafe working conditions through deceptive recruitment practices, withheld wages, and threats of retaliation. While labour trafficking exists across various industries in Canada, The Joy Smith Foundation is proud to announce an initiative focused specifically on supporting the trucking industry, where vulnerabilities to trafficking have been identified.

The Joy Smith Foundation, in partnership with the Manitoba Trucking Association and Crime Stoppers, is committed to addressing the systemic issues that facilitate labour trafficking in Manitoba. This new initiative builds on the foundation’s previous successes, including the 2023 national “See the Trafficking Signs” campaign, which focused on preventing youth from being lured into the sex trade.

Where: Manitoba Trucking Association, 25 Bunting Street, Winnipeg, MB R2X 2P5
When: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Thursday, March 13, 2025
WHO: 
Janet Campbell, President & CEO, The Joy Smith Foundation
Pauline Wiebe Peters, President, Manitoba Trucking Association
Rachelle Baker, Chair, MTA Human Resource Council
Rob MacKenzie, Chair, Winnipeg Crime Stoppers

RSVP and Media Contact: 
Janet Campbell janet@joysmithfoundation.com or 204-470-8967

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80a74f5c-e68c-495c-9377-e03b84929eb1